It is often desirable to arrange conveyed objects to have a predetermined spacing along the travel direction of a conveyor belt. The spacing enables downstream processing, such as merging objects from multiple conveying lanes into a single lane.
There are several known systems for controlling the spacing of conveyed objects. Some such systems use sensors and selectively actuatable stops that are controlled in response to information detected by the sensors. Unfortunately, these systems are relatively complex and can significantly limit the speed at which the objects are conveyed.
Other known systems use stops that are not sensor controlled. Although less complex than sensor-controlled systems, the stops of these systems are more likely to, at least intermittently, damage the conveyed objects. For instance, a conveyed object can be punctured or deformed when it runs into a partially extended stop or when a stop is forced open against an object that is already present in the conveyance path.